This invention relates generally to movement of grain, and more specifically to, an apparatus and method for movement of grain for transportation and storage.
Common fixtures for storing grain include grain silos and grain bins. Once the grain is harvested, the grain is moved from the field to the grain bin in a truck or hopper bottom trailer. The most common auger configuration includes a main auger positioned at an incline, attached to the hitch of a tractor at the lower end and the upper end discharging into the grain storage fixture. Along with the main auger, another shorter auger is attached to a swing away hopper that is positioned behind the truck or under the hopper bottom trailer. A discharge end of the short auger is attached at an inlet of the main auger. However the swing away hoppers have some disadvantages. For example, some known swing away hoppers require the wheels of the bottom hopper trailer to pass by, then the hopper and short auger combination is manually positioned under the hopper bottom trailer. In such a configuration, there can be a number of iterations of trailer, hopper and auger movement before positioning is correct to begin movement of grain from the trailer to the grain silo or bin.
Some drive over conveyor pits which incorporate frame and ramp assemblies are known. However these drive over pits have a disadvantage in that manual adjustment is required to raise and lower the frame and ramp assembly with respect to the ground. Another major disadvantage is that some drive over conveyor pits require an additional tractor or transport vehicle to move the pit from one location to another. One vehicle for the main incline auger and another for the drive over pit.